Indications for Soft-IVF

The majority of eligible patients who need conventional In Vitro Fertilization will also be candidates for Soft-IVF. For most, the choice will depend on whether you prefer to minimize the number of treatment injections and lower the treatment cost or whether you wish to maximize the cumulative probability of a successful outcome from all available embryos with conventional IVF.

Indications for Soft-IVF are similar to those for conventional In Vitro Fertilization:

• Long-standing infertility (no contraception use for a year and a half or more)
• Male factor infertility
• History of tubal blockage and pelvic adhesions
• Infertility associated with endometriosis
• Infertility associated with mild to moderate polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Unexplained infertility
• An alternative to intrauterine inseminations (IUI)
• An alternative to ovarian stimulation treatments

Not all patients are good candidates for Soft-IVF. For some, conventional In Vitro Fertilization or Donor Egg In Vitro Fertilization will be the most appropriate treatment option. We will help you select a treatment that will most likely, most expeditiously, and most economically result in a successful outcome.

The following list outlines treatment requirements related specifically to Soft-IVF:

1. Compared with conventional In Vitro Fertilization, Soft-IVF commonly results in fewer eggs developing within the ovaries. It is important that the egg quality be sufficiently high. You must be 40 years or younger by the start of Soft-IVF ovarian stimulation to be a candidate for the Soft-IVF treatment.

2. For an adequate Soft-IVF ovarian response and your safety during the egg retrieval procedure, your weight must be no greater than 150lb. If your height is less than 5'3", your weight must be no higher than the following limits:

 

 

3. You must have both ovaries, and there must be no ovarian cysts larger than 12 mm.

4. Your menstrual cycle length must be between 21 and 35 days. Most women with irregular menstrual periods do not respond well to Soft-IVF ovarian stimulation.

5. You must have a normal number (10-24) of antral follicles (small dark circles within each ovary) on your initial ultrasound at Bay IVF. If your antral follicle count is outside of this range, your ovaries will likely not respond well to Soft-IVF ovarian stimulation, and conventional IVF will be a better option for you.

6. Your FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and estrogen levels must indicate that your ovaries can respond to Soft-IVF stimulation: FSH must be 9.0 or less, and estrogen level must be 50 or less.

7. The male partner’s semen must have a sufficient number of normal-quality sperm. If sperm normal morphology is less than 5% or sperm total motility is less than 5%, conventional IVF, which typically results in a higher number of eggs available for fertilization, will be a better option for you.

The IVF or Soft-IVF page provides more in-depth information about the differences between conventional In Vitro Fertilization and Soft-IVF.